


First Comes Love

by Theatrhythm



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Gen, Really Cute Nerds, Revelations Route, silliness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-12
Updated: 2016-10-12
Packaged: 2018-08-21 22:02:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8261951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theatrhythm/pseuds/Theatrhythm
Summary: Leo unwittingly solicits his family for some advice. Post-Revelations.





	

**Author's Note:**

> It's, like, 1 am. Don't look at me.

Firsts are important in any relationship, Leo thinks, and he doesn't want to muck any of them up for Sakura. But he _also_ knows that any view of how to proceed in a courtship is fraught with bias, and the concept of a universal guide is, quite frankly, insulting. It's hard to put any stock in a meticulously constructed playbook that distills matters of the heart into a neat list of bullet points. 

Not that it matters; he checked. There are no peer-reviewed sources for such a non-academic topic. His _only_ choice, really, is to seek aid person-by-person.

Maddening. People are too  _subjective_. 

Still, some kind of advice would be nice, wouldn't it? He dreads brandishing such a sensitive topic so openly, but there must be nuggets of wisdom buried somewhere among his peers. After all, if Corrin's amorously adventurous army is any indication, anyone can create a spark with anyone.

Courting Sakura is a delicate thing, given their rank, but surprisingly uncomplicated. The youngest Hoshidan princess takes confessions of the heart more seriously and with more consideration than one might expect; he remembers the escalating anxiety of revealing his feelings melting away when she earnestly, and with remarkably little reservation, admitted returning them. He remembers his bemusement at her singular doubt - that _she_ might somehow be unworthy of _him_ \- because how could he have found someone who reflected his own insecurities so clearly? 

So this, he wants to give her. She deserves as much consideration in return.

This also means he consults his family and retainers on how to proceed, and mere seconds are all it takes for him to regret it.

All of them can agree on _one_ thing, much to his surprise, which is that the build-up is key. Don't just come out with it, they all say. You have to think ahead, orchestrate the setting to be just perfect, before proceeding.

 _Ah, yes,_  he thinks.  _Make sure it's "just perfect". I_ _'ll mark that down along with "don't sweat it" and "just be yourself". Because I was most_   _definitely_   _planning to sweat it while somehow being someone else._

Beyond that, each of them diverge into their own unique ideas of the rightness of that moment.

"Explicit consent," Xander says. It is imperative to ask permission to proceed in any step of courtship from her kin, first and foremost - if possible, in written form, from the eldest in descending order, before presenting it to her with a declaration of intent. Signed by all parties, in front of a judge and multiple witnesses, to uphold his honor and maintain the reputation and glory of Nohr. (Leo says he is pulling his leg, surely. Xander's face remains impassive; Leo bids a quick, unnerved retreat.)

"Presents," Camilla says. Offer her a token of affection, and have it be a metaphor of sorts - she should be clever enough to parse apart the meaning, of course, but surely she should have to work for it, too. Copper marigolds, perhaps, to communicate both fragility and strength? Or an ivory comb, for both beauty and the bones of enemies butchered on her behalf. (At seeing him blanch, she quickly croones that he should be creative and think of his own.)

"Background music," Elise says. It doesn't matter _what_ he says, so long as the setting _itself_ is framed by the sweet serenade of violins to set the ambiance. It's the _most_ important, she insists, but if he _really_ wants to pull out the _big guns_ , they should be surrounded by a _thousand roses_ with a _thousand stars_ twinkling overhead and a _thousand mewling kittens_  (and he wonders why he bothered asking at all).

"Bed her," Niles says.

"Consult the Dark Forces," Odin says. And as an afterthought, "dancing is fine, too."

Perhaps consulting Sakura for migraine medication would be more appropriate.

 

* * *

 

"I-I wonder if I can convince my big b-brother..."

"Why wouldn't he allow it? You've visited Nohr as an ambassador of Hoshido many times now," Leo comments mildly, arching an eyebrow.

Sakura flashes him an unsure smile. "My brother knows when I'm hiding something."

The two royals are drifting through the library in Castle Shirasagi, feather-light steps still carrying through the wide aisles. It is not an ideal place for a stroll, but it was borne out of habit; one of them was usually nestled in a book whenever the other sought them out anyway. Leo feels most at home in Castle Krakenburg's, with its dusty tomes and gold-dipped tea lights glowing through dark halls and casting darker shadows, but there is something pleasant about Shirasagi's library. The scent of tatami, the crinkle of age-worn scrolls, and the soft chiming of bells littering the door frames makes it a welcome reprieve during his visits, as does the pink-haired princess often found pacing the halls.

Leo's fingers deftly pluck one scroll that catches his eye from its shelf, tucks it under his arm. "Camilla is equally perceptive. She gets this glint in her eye when she knows I'm lying. She usually lets it slide, despite the infuriating smugness."

"You should teach me. I'm a terrible liar..."

"I really could, if you wanted," he says. "But I think your conscience would get in the way."

"It probably would," she says sheepishly. "B-but I'd like to practice anyway."

"Okay. Pretend I'm your brother." He grimaces. _Very smooth._ He clears his throat anyway, and gives her a reproachful look. "Why, exactly, do you want to travel to Nohr?"

She straightens a little, stopping in her tracks to meet his gaze resolutely. "To check on the progress of our agricultural restoration efforts. Th-the farmlands require routine checks. We have sent them materials and instructions on how to help coax the soil back to fertility, b-but it's not enough without supervision..."

"But you're no expert on that account," he insists. "You are a healer, not a farmer. Perhaps you should simply send an envoy to save yourself the exhaustion of such an excursion."

"I-I would like to accompany any envoy, regardless. It is important to show the Nohrians the commitment of Hoshidans in this regard."

Leo holds her gaze, his own steely and uncompromising; she doesn't flinch. He softens with a small smile. "Not bad. But you still have a few tells."

"I-I do?" She gulps.

"That's one of them, the gulping. Also that," he adds, pointing to where her hands have been wringing and tugging at her sleeves. She pulls them apart abruptly, flushing. "Good eye contact, though. It certainly helps that you believe in what you say. Speaking the truth makes forming the lie easier."

She sighs, her lashes lowered. "I hope I can convince him. I-I really want to visit you," she says, her cheeks tinging pink, and his own heart skips a beat, "a-and I want to see the night markets too," she adds quickly.

"The ones in Macarath?" he asks.

"In Windmire," she says. "The ones Elise told me about, with the flower shops."

He frowns. "The Windmire markets make up an underground city, but it's also in the belly of the black markets. The number of soldiers posted there are relatively meager and scattered. You would have to be very careful." 

"Yes, I-I know. I figured it'd be safe, well, if we went together, if you don't mind," she says. 

His shoulders relax slightly. "If you'd like," he replies. "It is rather beautiful lit up at night, if somewhat crowded."

"Yes, I heard about the lanterns from Elise," she says brightly. "A-and the stalls! We have those during festivals in Hoshido, you know, to sell all kinds of food. I can't believe Nohr has them all year round. It must smell amazing!"

"It does," Leo agrees. Really, proximity to the illegal trade aside, the markets of Nohr don't differ much from those in Hoshido; the true difference is that, unlike the Hoshidan markets that operate openly on the surface, Nohr's underground markets are designed by nature to be covert, with stalls and businesses regularly rotating locations to maintain a sense of secrecy. Surveillance was never so diligently enforced as when under Garon's rule, and the distrust it bred still lingers; for all Xander's efforts to loosen the tight grip of their father, it will still take years to allay the fear and wariness towards the royal family. 

To Sakura's credit, she has broached the topic of the aftershock of Garon's rule with enough tact to glean a sense of the unrest without being too intrusive. If anything, it has spurred her curiosity further. Of the four Hoshidan siblings, she has taken the most interest in understanding her neighboring country - a trait she shares with Elise. 

Truly, he should be touched that Sakura is so eager to learn about Nohr, despite an upbringing that would suggest it was the last place for her to take an interest in. Selfishly, though, he finds himself glad that it's also in part for him. 

"I have to make my brother understand," she murmurs, her expression sobering as she fiddles with her sleeves. "I-I really want to experience it. I know it's a silly reason... A-and a little selfish, to go all that way just to go to a market with you..." She hesitates, bites her lip. "B-but it would be such a nice memory..."

"Yes," he says quietly. "It would be."

She hums thoughtfully, and looks up at him with a meek smile. "D-do you think you could... Maybe help me practice asking? I-I don't think I'll want to lie about it, after all, but maybe it'll make my case a little stronger if-"

Leo kisses her.

There is no poetic gift to precede it; he's holding nothing but the scroll he picked up earlier, gripped too-tight in one hand while his other rests on Sakura's arm, gloved fingers lightly grazing her skin.

There's no swelling crescendo, either; the only sound is Sakura's quick inhale as he leans in, and the whining cicadas' cries muffled through the sliding screen doors.

Takumi would more likely eat a toad than sign a consent form to court his sister, but the way Sakura presses into him, there's no one else he needs to be on-board.

And, well, Leo has two left feet, anyway.

He pulls away hesitantly after a few beats, his heart pounding. She looks up at him, wide-eyed, mouth slightly ajar.

The panic instantly sets in. "I..." He swallows. "I..." _Great_ , says a snide voice in his head. _So much for "don't sweat it" and "just be yourself" , genius. You clammed up and roleplayed as her brother._

He sees her bury her face in her hands abruptly with a muffled squeak, and he closes his eyes, stomach churning. _How mortifying._ With a resigned wince, he opens his eyes to steal a glance, an apology already forming. "Sakura, forgive me, I..."

But Sakura is peering at him shyly, one hand still covering her face; the other hangs loosely, just barely brushing against his. He can make out the brilliant shade of red peeking through her fingers.

Leo blinks. "I... Sakura?"

"...H-how am I g-going to ask R-Ryoma now," she mumbles weakly, voice quavering. "...Th-there's n-no way he'll believe me, I-I'm going to be r-red for a _week_..."

Firsts are overrated, Leo decides, when he could just as well kiss her again. 

**Author's Note:**

> Imagine Leo secretly combing through teenage advice columns in The Nohrian Enquirer, ignoring the front page tabloid about Xander's supposed extramarital affair to all four Hoshidan royals. Also, Leo trying to consult scholarly sources on romance while simultaneously being put off by how clinical they are.
> 
> I'm really glad I got this out of my brain because it's been dogging me all week! Hopefully the silliness of it doesn't throw it off too much; I imagine Xander could occasionally mess with his siblings using that stellar poker face of his, ha ha.
> 
> I also took Camilla's copper marigold idea from Aveline in Dragon Age 2. If you ever think you're not smooth, just remember Aveline "It's A Real Nice Night For An Evening" Vallen.


End file.
